Dappled Notions and Unquenched Succeses

 This morning it was very cold I could tell you because I was running outside thankfully I was running because I probably would've frozen if I had been.  Amazing how movement can keep you so warm!




I've been making gains with my health.
And have acquired a new fancy for doing planks.




I went to a dashing good concert a few nights ago.
That was a premier for the band "Sons of the Republic" it was truly an amazing concert! The little restaurant they played in was hopping that night, we were all packed in there like sardines!

Chocolate Cookies and Thymes of Onions

I sit surrounded by onions and chocolate and resumes...
I know quite an odd combination.



Let me explain, so this morning began with sun... just kidding, actually, I blacked out my windows, so no sun. I did this intentionally to dupe my long-night of term papers and homework. With the recent time change, the sun soaks through the shutters with a persistent glare. Despite my efforts in sleeping longer, the farm has given me an internalized alarm clock.

A random wine glass full of rose petals, playing some Clair de Lune.

So, I began my morning with a challenge to cook a beef roast. I am not too familiar with cooking meats, so this is a rather new venture for me.




I am chopping onions, potatoes, thyme, 3 cloves of garlic and butternut squash, which I will be putting in a cast-iron pot. Oh and I forgot the pot roast, oh well I suppose that outta go in if we are indeed making pot roast ;).



Meanwhile, I'm prepping three dozen double-chocolate cookies, that admittedly are pretty darn good! I found the recipe in my Sweet Treats, William-Sonoma, cookbook that has a lot of really tasty recipes in it. My intention for creating these, of course, is to try for my bakery that will be opening come December, one month!


Recently, I was gifted a LODGE CAST IRON 12-inch cast iron skillet! I am very excited as this will be a skillet I can use for the rest of my life.  This skillet is going to be cooked in throughout my life.  When you get a gift like that, it really puts life in perspective, I think. Can you imagine this skillet is probably going to last longer than me?




Well, that's all, for now, folks, hope your day is a real winner!

Pumpkins!

This is the greenhouse, this Spring, while we were struggling to get the plastic on a very windy day!

Today, on the farm the hoop houses are getting cleaned out. It is a very cold day so that will be fun... This past year the farm grew lots of vegetables including tomatoes, raspberries, pumpkins, blackberries, squash, and lots of onions!
That definitely deserves its own blog post, COMING SOON!

I grew these little beauties in our garden!

The pumpkins that are still in the field are glazed over with white and just barely holding their shape after this freezing weather.



This year we grew a giant variety of pumpkins that grow up to 500 lbs! I did have a picture but ayiyi! They were very big, to move them they had to be rolled onto pallets! Only two would fit in the bed of a pickup at a time.



Thankfully we don't just grow those monsters but other colorful varieties like Rumbo, pie pumpkins, One-to-Many, Casperita, etc.
The pumpkins that we ship wholesale go all over Kansas and some into Missouri.

Detail of pumpkin harvests later, for now, pumpkin tangent done. 😏

A Morning of Cupcakes, Chickens and Planks

                                   Ok, so clearly there is a slight problem with being fit and being a baker. I have that under control though. Taste-testers for cupcakes are not hard to come by and its a great way to make people happy. Haha, and making cupcakes is sooo much fun! Next years sales will be off the charts I hope, haha fingers crossed.



This morning began with planks. So, one of my friends and I have a bet that he can out-plank me, which in all reality is probably true. I was quite elated this morning when I was able to plank for 1 minute though! I have been lifting as well which is so nice when the sun is just peeking over my Kansas horizon. I really enjoy talking to that friend he brings me into perspective and is rather witty!



My chickens were doing really clucky today they're not too fond of this cold weather though. They just have been slacking off incredibly, the egg production has almost been reduced to 1/2 of what is usually.

The chicken food container was tipped over.... I have thoughts on who the perpetrator was... possums, little baby possums. Baby possums getting into the chicken food is not good and will have to be taken care of. I had a friend over for dinner last night and as he was coming up the steps he almost tripped over a baby possum. Possum perpetrators! :)






















We have some wild cats that I've been feeding. They're kind of a mangy group, like a group of hardened fighters. Always showing up to the food bowl with different scratches and scars. We have a pair of brother cats, that when kitten played with each other and were besties. Then Frostnip, the princess showed up, she's kind of a drama queen cat! :) Now they absolutely hate each other and of course, Frostnip is sooo sought after. Haha, #farmcatenvy!